I Have My Eye On You

I have found five feathers from Tawny Frogmouths when out walking but I have only seen them once. Master of disguise for sure. The amazing detail on their feathers is just part of their tree camouflage. The variety of their feathers and their arrangement is another amazing fade into the background techniques.

Follow

My art practice has been an ever undulating and diversifying journey that has recently led me down a path to drawing birds with their feathers. So if, on my wanderings around the local landscape, I find a Tawny Frogmouth feather I use that feather to draw a Tawny Frogmouth. I like the symmetry of the whole process and the uniqueness of each quill’s mark making. I work on paper and board with inks and/or oil colours. Sometimes I use a blade to scrape back some of the ink. My composition tends to be influenced by my interest in human portraiture and by my appreciation of the birds as characters with personalities. I enjoy the added textural effect of working on board or cotton rag paper.
I hope you enjoy the local characters I have captured as much as I have enjoyed creating them.